The Landscape

National Park Dwingelderveld is the largest wet heathland in Western Europe, located near the village of Dwingeloo. Covering around 3,500 hectares, the park features vast heathlands, tranquil fens, juniper thickets, and swampy woodlands. The landscape was shaped after the last Ice Age and further developed through centuries of traditional grazing and sod-cutting. These age-old practices have preserved the park’s open and varied character. With over forty picturesque fens scattered throughout, Dwingelderveld offers a uniquely peaceful setting. It is also one of the darkest places in the Netherlands, making it a perfect spot for stargazing.

Beyond the boundaries of the National Park, the landscape gradually shifts into a peaceful and rural setting, where quiet roads and winding paths invite exploration. Open fields and meadows alternate with small woodlands, hedgerows, and scattered farms. The gently rolling sandy soils are drier here, making them well-suited for agriculture and livestock. Along the edges of the park lie charming Drenthe villages, often built around a central green and surrounded by fields, adding a distinctive touch to the landscape. While the park itself is known for its wet heathlands and tranquil fens, the surrounding area offers a more varied mix of farmland, forests, and stream valleys.

Bossen en Heide

Forests and Heaths

Rivieren en Beken

Polders and Farmlands

Moerassen en Venen

Swamps and Peatlands

Landgoed en Erfgoed

Lakes and Ponds

Join us on this virtual cycling route

Virtual cycling through the National Park Dwingelderveld

Route map

Start and finish near bike node 44 on the Commissaris Cramerpad in Spier. However, this bike route is a circular tour, so it offers the possibility to start from any of the following bike nodes.

44 - 43 - 83 - 88 - 86 - 56 - 57 - 83 - 32 - 58 - 59 - 41 - 91 - 77 - 93 - 75 - 78 - 61 - 71 - 8 - 58 - 32 - 43 - 44

  • 62% of the route runs on paved roads. 
  • 38% of the route runs on unpaved and semi-paved paths. 

MORE INFO ABOUT ROAD AND SURFACE CONDITIONS

54
Kilometers
219
Minutes
169
Elevation meters